My Inspiration

Everything that I do is for the love of my life -- my daughter Gillian. She inspires me to work hard to be the best person that I can be. I must serve as a positive role model for her. I also work to expose her to a diverse array of positive people.

Gillian is strong, smart and bold. As she continues to learn and grow, I know she will make a positive impact on the world.

Life with the Lovely and Dynamic Miss Gillian

Hula Hooping
I remember hula hooping when I was a child. We would hold contests in the front yard and hula hoop until it got dark and our parents called us into the house. I was the champion. Even though many years have passed, I've still got it! Now, I get to relive my hula hoop memories and create new ones with my daughter. Gillian also enjoys a little good old fashioned hula hooping from time to time.

Jumping Rope
Cinderella dressed in yella
Went upstairs to kiss a fella
Made a mistake and kissed a snake
How many doctors did it take?

I have seen Gillian's jump roping skills improve exponentially. It used to take a mere three to four doctors to revive Cinderella. Now, it takes a veritable army of doctors to counteract the effects of her reptilian indiscretions. I find that when I jump rope, I am less concerned with Cinderella's health and more concerned with what seems to be an impending aneurism. I suppose with more practice, I'll get back into shape.

Activities, Activities, Activities

We love spending time together. Sometimes, we simply lounge by watching TV or playing board games, but we are usually pretty active. We both love animals and nature, so when we’re not playing with our pets, we enjoy going to the zoo, aquarium, botanical gardens or a park. Of course we also spend plenty of time with friends. Miss Gillian is a social butterfly. She especially loves my student staff at OASIS.

Miss Gillian is a dancer. She has taken tap, ballet, jazz and hip-hop. In addition to dancing, Gillian enjoys watching dance performances. She loves the ballet. I wish I could take her more often, but for now, we are limited to two to three ballets each year. We take advantage of all the great cultural events that my office and some of the ethnic student organizations at UCSD put on. We have seen several different types and styles of dance from around the globe. Of course, we attend Eveoke’s Celebrate Dance Festival every summer.

Homework
Gillian enjoys the fact that I am in school because we can do our homework together. However, she wonders why my teachers give me so much to do. Gillian enjoys doing her homework, even though it is a bit too easy for her. She also enjoys reading, writing stories, writing in her journal and working out math problems. Another favorite pastime is using the computer for writing, reading and playing. Gillian’s love for learning and school comes from the fact that she is a truly gifted child and may also be related to the fact that her whole family is involved in education. I am an adjunct faculty member, a learning skills counselor and a student. Her grandparents are both retired teachers. In addition, her uncle taught for years before he began working with schools and their educational software needs. Frankly, under the influence of my parents, my brother and I, Gillian was destined to have a true love for learning.

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